Improvement in railroad-rail joints



W. H. HORNUM.

` Railroad-Rail Join-t. l

N0,l69,266, Parenwdocnzmlsvs.

NJETE-RS. PHDTO-LITMOGRAPHER, WASHINGTUN. D C.

NITED STATES WILLIAM H. HQRNUM,

0Fv NEW YORK, Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-RAIL JOINTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,266, dated October 26, 1875; application tiled October 4, 1875.

To all whom it may concern: 't

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HORNUM, of the city, county, and State ot' New York, have invented a new-and Improved Railroad- Rail Joint, which invention`is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l represents a plan or top view. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan. Fig. 3 is a sectional side view.v Fig. 4 is a transverse section. A

Similar lettersindicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the combination, with the ends of two rails at their joint, of a lat supporting plate, provided with a depression below the joint andof two U-shaped jaws, the upper branches of which are placed in'recesses in the side flanges of the rails, while their lower branches -are bifurcated and made to straddle the depression ofthe supporting-plate, said jaws being clamped to the rails and to the supporting'plate by a bolt extending through the jaws and through the depression ot' the supporting-plate, so that by the action ot' the bolt and clamp the ends of the rails and the supporting-plate are firmly united, and that by the depression ot' the supporting-plate, and by the recesses in the side flanges ot' the rails, the clamps are effectually prevented from moving in the direction of the length of the rails, thereby rendering the joint firm and permanent, and at the same time the rails can be readily passed over by wheel vehicles; and my joint is therefore ot' particular value for street-railroads.

In the drawing, the letters A A designate the ends of two railroad-rails, beneath which is placed a llat plate, B, equal in Width to the bottom surfaces ot' the-rails, and about twenty inches (more or less) in length. The side anges of the rails A A are provided wit raised rims b b, which are partially out away at the ends of the rails, so as to form recesses c for the reception of the upper branches of U-.shaped jaws C C. The lower branches d d of these jaws are bifureated, and when the joint is to be made these bifurcated branches straddle a depression, e, which is formed in the supporting-plate, and which extends transversely across said plate beneath the joint of the rails. When the jaws are in the proper position they are fastened by means of a bolt, D, which extends through said jaws and through the depression in the supportingplate, and which is secured by a nut or by a key, or by any other suitable fastening. By this arrangement the ends of the rails are evenly supported by the plate B, and at the same time the clamps are prevented fromy moving in the direction of the length of the rail, while the rails may be left free to expand and to contract without throwing their ends out ot' a level position. At the same time the upper branches of the jaws being embedded in the recesses c of the rims b form level surfaces with said rims, and the rails when laid down in the streets of a city or town do not materially interfere with the passage of ordinary wheel vehicles.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The hat supportingplate B, provided with a transverse depression, e, in combination with rails A A, having raised rims b, with recesses c, and with U-shaped jaws G C, the lower branches of which are bit'urcated and made to straddle the depression in the supporting- In testimony that I claim the foregoing I' have hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th day of September, 1875.

WILLIAM H. HORNUM.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

